For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20 

Summer seems to have finally come to the Miramichi, and I have been enjoying the sun’s warmth. We now have had six days straight of sunshine. That may not seem unusual for the rest of this country, but we in the Chi have had rain five days a week since mid-June. Most of the summer has been indoors, searching Google for instructions on building a large boat (the Ark has already been done). 

At first, the rain bothered me. But when I seemed to need it most, my son sent me a video of my grandson and his friends swimming in the puddles that formed on his street. It brought a smile and a flashback to the time I enjoyed being in the rain. I was raised in Toronto and have since lived in many cities, large and small. I swam in the puddles that formed on the street, slid on the flooded grassy parks, and swam au natural in the ditches and streams. As a child, the rain was fun, but I must admit that as I grew older and busier, I became fond of the beautiful man-made structures and looked less and less at what God had made. 

However, as I felt the sun these last few days, I wondered if I had taken God’s creation for granted. We prayed often for the sun this summer because that was what we wanted, not what we may have needed. Sitting in the sun, I reflected on the summer of rain and was reminded that because of the rain, we did not have forest fires like many places across the country. We did not have flooding or storm surges. Our wells are full, and our flora is flush. Life went on, and whether we acknowledge it or not, the rain was good.  

I am blessed to live in the countryside, surrounded by trees, wildlife, and clean air. It’s only been recently that I have grown to appreciate my environment. When I moaned about the rain this summer, I wondered if something happened to me. I feared I was becoming the grumpy old guy, sitting with a group of grumpier men who were never content with anything around us. Too often, I missed out on our God, the Creator, because the weather was not what I wanted. I missed out on the One who reveals Himself through nature, the rain, and the sunshine. Don’t let that happen to you. Look around at the wonder of creation where it is in the land, the sea, and the air, and give thanks that God deemed that it was good. 

On Monday, I was awakened by the rising morning sun. I had forgotten to close the curtains last evening before I went to bed. As the sun rose, I was treated to a beautiful display of God’s glory and a reminder that our God is with us as the sun rises and sets. 

God is not nature, but He created it for both His glory and our pleasure. As you go about your day, whether during your commute to and from work or while sitting on a deck chair, look and recognize the glory of God and give thanks.